Our Geography curriculum is designed to help students build a strong “geography schema” — a way of connecting and organising geographical knowledge in their long-term memory. It also supports students in achieving the goals set out in our Geography Milestone Progression document (see below). Our approach follows a simple model:
- Breadth of study
The range of topics students will explore.
- Threshold concepts
The “big ideas” that run through every Geography topic. These include:
- Investigate places – This concept focuses on understanding where different places are located and recognising their physical and human features.
- Investigate patterns – This concept involves exploring how physical features of places relate to human activity, as well as understanding how natural resources are used and transported around the world.
- Communicate geographically – This concept includes using geographical vocabulary, representations, and techniques to describe and explain what students have learned.
- Milestones
The key goals that show students are meeting the expectations of our curriculum.
We believe that children learn best when they develop a secure schema built on knowledge, vocabulary, and meaningful tasks, helping them to confidently reach these milestones.
